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Australian convict costume

Kids love to dress up and sometimes the badder the better. Exploring all sorts of characters is an important part of growing up. This Australian convict outfit is a fun Australia Day or Book Week dress up idea.

What you need:

1 x white shirt

1 x white pants (old cricket pants or karate pants work well)

1 x white sun hat

1 x A4 sheet of black foamboard or cardboard

1 x small ball

1 x black stocking

1 x black marker pen

Activity:

Use a black marker pen to draw the classic broad arrow pattern onto the pants and shirt. (The broad arrow symbol or 'pheon' dates back to the 17th century and was used to mark government property to prevent theft.)

Cut the brim off the sun hat. Now you have a passable convict cap. Put a broad arrow on it to "prevent theft".

Cut an A4 piece of paper in half and write a four digit "prisoner number" onto it with the black marker pen. Pin or glue it to the front of the shirt.

To make a ball and chain: use strips of black foamboard or cardboard to make a paperchain. Now stretch a black stocking over the ball, trim it off and staple it to your chain. Use a wide strip of black cardboard or foamboard to attach the ball and chain to your prisoner's ankle.